Gossip Girls
by Nibiru-Mul
Summary: Nina and Rachel are a pair of reporters who are looking for a juicy story. Marlon is the focus of their latest story. After they find out a few secrets about him, Nina and Rachel publish the stories in a tabloid. But Marlon has laryngitis and can't talk the reporters out of their gossip. How will Marlon live this down? COMPLETED
1. Larynx Dissonance

_**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Pokemon, Marlon, or the other canon characters mentioned in the story. I do, however, own some characters, such as the reporters Nina and Rachel._

_This story is rated T for language, nudity, and innuendos. Do not read if you are under 13._

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**THE ESTATE OF NIBIRU-MUL PRESENTS**

**GOSSIP GIRLS**

**CHAPTER 1: LARYNX DISSONANCE**

It was a hot summer morning in Humilau City, a city consisting of many houses on raised platforms. The sun was very bright, and the water was nice and warm - perfect for swimming. People were going outside to swim.

Marlon, the Gym Leader of Humilau City, was swimming in a pool of water. He was wearing a blue speedo and a pair of goggles. He was helping Nate practice different swimming moves. Nate was on his back, wearing a purple speedo and a black sweatband. He was doing the backstroke.

"Am I doing it right?" asked Nate.

"Your arms should be a little closer together," said Marlon. "It will help."

Nate put his arms closer together and started to backstroke a little more. He managed to go a little further - until he nearly went head-on into a wooden pole.

"Nate! Watch out!" said Marlon.

Marlon quickly swam up to Nate and pulled him out of the way. He then helped Nate get back up.

"Sorry," said Nate. "I'm not the best swimmer."

"That's okay," said Marlon. "It takes practice. Not everyone can be like Michael Phelps." Marlon coughed.

"I wouldn't want to be like him," said Nate. "I don't want to smoke a bong."

Marlon thought this was hilarious. He laughed until he coughed a few times.

"Yeah," said Nate. "You're kinda like my older cousin, Lana. Lana was the best swimmer in town - she actually swam across the strait between Virbank and Castelia. Then it ended three months ago when she had a baby."

"How did that affect her?" asked Marlon.

"She gained quite a bit of weight," said Nate. "She's still trying to lose it."

Marlon giggled, but then he coughed a few times.

Nate lay down on the surface of the water and tried the backstroke again.

But not everyone is having fun. Some people are on the job.

There are two women sitting on the decks. They have notepads and pens in their hands. Their goal is to report some shit for people to read. These women were named Nina Faustini and Rachel Petit. Nina was a woman of average height with a light green hair in a bouffant and green eyes. She was wearing a light blue sundress. Rachel was a short woman with short brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white halter top and blue short shorts.

Rachel noticed Marlon's trademark swim pants tied to a post on the decks. Marlon was going to wash them later. They were near a light blue tote bag with a picture of a Wailord on it.

"Wouldn't it be cool if we took that?" Rachel asked Nina. "I love the fins on those pants!"

"RACHEL!" said Nina. "Marlon would be really mad at us if we stole his prized swim pants. Besides, we're supposed to be writing something for the magazine! The National Gymquirer won't be satisfied without the latest story on one of the Gym Leaders!"

"Okay, Nina," said Rachel. "But it would be good evidence! Remember when we stole..." Rachel was going to say something embarrassing.

"I told you never to mention that again," said Nina.

"Righty-O, Nina!" said Rachel.

"Let's watch Marlon a little while longer," said Nina. "Then we could get a juicy story for the National Gymquirer."

Nina and Rachel continued to watch Marlon and Nate. Marlon helped Nate learn a few swimming moves, but Marlon coughed quite a bit. They wrote some notes on the Gym Leader.

An hour later, Nina and Rachel saw Marlon saying good-bye to Nate, who was going back to the beach where the Pokemon Center was. Marlon got out of the water and climbed up the decks. He took his swim pants off of the pole and put them in his tote bag. Then he took a long white T-shirt out of his bag and put it on. He also put on a pair of sandals.

Marlon looked at Nina and Rachel.

"Hi," he said. "I see you've been watching my swim pants." Marlon coughed.

Nina and Rachel giggled.

"Uh...yes..." Nina chuckled.

"We were watching," said Rachel. "We're trying to get a good story on you."

"Why...' coughed Marlon, "thanks! I'd like to see how it comes out!" Being a laid-back kind of guy, Marlon wasn't normally bothered by stories on him published in the National Gymquirer. These stories could be dishonest, but Marlon knew that they were usually just for laughs.

Marlon picked up his tote bag.

"I like the notes that I took," said Nina, "but it might be a bit boring in print."

"Don't worry," said Marlon. "I'm sure the readers will enjoy it. I remember that one you wrote last week..." Marlon coughed yet again, but this time his voice was getting very hoarse. What was going on with his voice?

Nina and Rachel were startled. It looked like Marlon was coming down with a disease.

"It looks like you're sick with something," said Nina. "You'll need to go to the Pokemon Center and let a nurse test you." The Pokemon Center in Humilau City treated people as well as Pokemon.

"And you might want to avoid the water," said Rachel. "You're going to spread your germs and infect people if you stay in!"

"Okay," said Marlon. "I'll go."

While Marlon walked away, Nina and Rachel looked on. They started to giggle again.

"Marlon sure looks sexy in that bathing suit," said Rachel. "I think I want him for myself."

"I would love him too," said Nina. "But Marlon would never notice us. He has a steady girlfriend. And they could be married before you know it."

"He's younger than us," said Rachel. "He hasn't even reached 25. But we're both over 30. And neither of us have been with a man at all."

"Let's go follow him," said Nina.

"Sure!" said Rachel. The two followed Marlon.

Marlon made his way to the Pokemon Center. When he went inside, he saw Nate sitting near the entrance reading a book. Nate had put a shirt on as well. He waved hello to Marlon.

Next, Marlon walked up to the counter. He saw a nurse with pink pigtails. This was Tanya, the head nurse.

"Excuse me, Nurse," said Marlon, "but can you look at me? I'm losing my voice."

"Of course, Marlon," said Tanya. "Come this way."

Tanya took Marlon to another room. She sat him down in a chair. Tanya went over to the counter and took out a light.

"Open wide," said Tanya.

Marlon opened his mouth. Tanya held up the light near Marlon's mouth. She also felt his face. Then Tanya came to a conclusion.

"Your throat is swollen," said Tanya. "And I looked at the lymph nodes on your face, and they're swollen too. It looks like you have laryngitis."

"Laryngitis?" asked Marlon.

"Yep," said Tanya. "You might want to avoid talking too much. And don't forget to drink plenty of fluids. But what's most important is rest."

Marlon nodded his head. He was frowning.

Tanya then stepped back, and knocked Marlon's tote bag over. Out of it fell some of Marlon's belongings. Most of them were nothing special, but what fell out last was surprising - a plush Frillish. It was blue, signifying that it was male, and about five inches tall. The nurse picked the stuff up and put it back in the tote bag, but it was too late - someone had seen it.

Nina and Rachel were right outside the room that Marlon was in. Nina was writing things in her notepad, while Rachel was looking in with her binoculars. They had seen everything - Marlon had laryngitis. Nina and Rachel had not reported a disease before. They thought this would be juicy.

"Holy shit, Nina," said Rachel. "Looks like ol' Marlon's got a disease."

"And even better," said Nina, "he's got a little doll with him!"

"I wonder what the doll is for," said Rachel. "You don't normally see adults carrying those things. Well...of course you have that stuffed Happiny named MC Poopy Pants!"

"Oh yeah," said Nina. "Then again, we're going to die alone."

"At least we have each other," said Rachel. "Right, cookie?"

Nina blushed.

"Anyway," said Nina, "let's look closely at Marlon. We can write a real juicy story about this!"

"Yep," said Rachel. "I wonder what we should write about: Marlon's hotness, his laryngitis, or his plush Frillish!"

"I vote for all of the above!" said Nina.

"All right!" said Rachel.

Uh-oh...this is not good!


	2. The Big Scoop

**CHAPTER 2:**** THE BIG SCOOP**

Marlon went back to his house. He was disappointed that he had laryngitis. Now he couldn't talk for a while. What's a guy to do?

The house that Marlon lived in wasn't that big, but that was the same for all the houses in Humilau City. It was a beige house with a black roof. The door on the front was red, and the windows were brown. It was only one floor high.

When Marlon went inside, he brought his tote bag to his room and put it by his bed. He then went to take a shower. Marlon thought that a shower would help him feel less stressed-out about his laryngitis.

After Marlon got out of the shower, he went to his room and took out a pair of pajamas. The pajamas were green and consisted of a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. First Marlon put on a pair of black trunks and put them on.

Marlon's room had yellow walls and a wooden floor with a red rug on it. His bed had a blue blanket and white pillows and sheets. There was also a dresser, a closet, a mirror, and a desk.

Marlon decided to rest for a little while. He was tired from all that swimming, and he wanted to brainstorm ideas for communication while in bed. Maybe charades could work? Nah - Marlon was a very bad charades player. What to do...

Nina and Rachel were outside, looking for Marlon. They were wondering where he went.

"Marlon could be anywhere," said Nina. "And these decks are hard to navigate."

Rachel had her Sneasel out of its Poke Ball. This Sneasel was named Igor, and he wore a red collar. Igor was on a leash, crawling. He was sniffing for any signs of Marlon.

"Don't worry, Nina," said Rachel. "Igor is a good sniffer. He can detect anything."

"That is true," said Nina.

"He'll find Marlon in no time!" said Rachel.

Nina looked at Igor.

"Looks like he's trying to find cats first!" said Nina.

Igor had seen a wealthy woman tending her Purrloin. This woman had long blonde hair. She was wearing a big hat, a pink sundress, and sunglasses. Her Purrloin has a pink ribbon. Igor was running forward to attack the Purrloin. When Igor was jumping up, the Purrloin started hissing and tried to scratch at him.

"Igor!" said Nina. "Don't jump up at Thea Tomlinson's Purrloin! It's very hostile." But it was too late.

"That Sneasel is a menace!" said Thea. "Pay no attention to that vulgar beast, Lucifer darling!"

Rachel facepalmed.

"Its name is Lucifer?" said Rachel. "What a stupid name! Who would name their cat after the Devil? Besides, you know, the stepmother from Cinderella?" She turned to Igor. "Bad boy! Get over here!" Igor went back to Rachel.

Nina walked over to Thea so she could apologize. "We're sorry about everything," said Nina.

"Ugh!" snapped Thea. "You should really watch where you keep your vulgar, low-class Pokemon! Those wretched beasts should be kept away from civilized people like myself." Thea turned to her Purrloin. "Isn't that right, Lucifer dear?"

Nina wanted to facepalm.

"Whatever," said Nina. "I think Marlon's house is nearby."

Igor continued to sniff more, and then he ended up right outside Marlon's house.

"Looks like this is Marlon's house," said Rachel. "See the plaque..._This house belongs to Marlon_...how do you pronounce his last name?"

"Beats me," said Nina. "It looks weird."

Now let's look inside to see what Marlon is doing.

We focus on the living room, which is the main room of the house. It is located in the back left of the house. It is next to the kitchen. Marlon's bathroom is in the back as well, and the kitchen is in the front left. Marlon's bedroom is in the back right, his bathroom is in the front right, and his closet is between the bedroom and bathroom.

Marlon was lying down on his armchair, with the remote in his hand. He was changing the channel.

_"Squirrel Flakes. You'll go nuts over it!"_

_"We'll add in a free bottle opener with every purchase!"_

_"Call me now for a free (wink wink) tarot reading!"_

Marlon finally switched to the cooking channel. There was a recipe for catfish stew on the show. Marlon didn't think this was appetizing, but he figured that he'd watch it since nothing else was on.

A few minutes later, Marlon heard a knock on his door. Marlon got up from his chair and turned off the TV. He went to the door and opened up. It was Nina and Rachel.

"Yes?" said Marlon hoarsely. "Can I help you?"

"Hello, Marlon," said Nina. "I'm Nina Faustini, and this is Rachel Petit. I'm sure you know us already. We're with the National Gymquirer."

"Sorry," said Marlon, "but you're not welcome. I'm...sick..."

"We just want to tell you this," said Rachel.

"You're the focus of our next story!" said Nina. "We just need a few photos."

"Wait..." said Marlon. "You can't..." But by now Marlon had lost his voice completely.

Nina and Rachel took a few photos of Marlon.

"That will be great," said Nina. "Just think of it - you're going to be a star! And everyone is going to love to see your handsome face!"

"We heard about your laryngitis," said Rachel. "It is very sad that you had to have it. Otherwise you could give us an interview. But the pictures that we took today should suffice for the article that we are writing! And it was good of you to help!" Rachel turned to Nina. "We better get going back to Striaton City! Our boss will be mad if we don't get there!"

"Ta-ta," said Nina, twinkling her fingers.

Nina and Rachel left. Marlon tried to groan, but no sound came out.

Later that day, Marlon got a couple of visitors. Nate had told Rosa about Marlon's laryngitis, and Rosa told several of the other Gym Leaders that Marlon couldn't talk. The visitors came that evening. They consisted of Cress, Skyla, and Elesa.

Cress opened Marlon's door. Marlon saw Cress, Skyla, and Elesa. Cress was wearing a green and pink Hawaiian shirt and white shorts. Skyla was dressed in a sky blue midriff-baring top and white short shorts. Elesa was wearing an orange sundress. Elesa was holding a box with chocolate fudge. Skyla had a plastic bag with a tub of strawberry ice cream. Cress was holding a blue neck warmer with black buttons.

"Nate told us about your laryngitis," said Cress. "That's why we came to visit - to see if you were okay."

"We've got some ice cream!" said Skyla. "It's your favorite: strawberry!"

Marlon looked at Skyla.

"We also got you some chocolate fudge," said Elesa.

"And I got a neck warmer for you," said Cress.

Marlon smiled. He also let everyone inside.

Once everyone was inside, Marlon took out some plastic bowls, cups, and spoons. Skyla opened the ice cream, while Cress opened the box of fudge. Elesa opened the fridge and took out some milk.

"Let's eat," said Elesa.

Everyone started eating.

That night, Marlon decided to go to bed early - as soon as the sun started setting. Marlon put on his neck warmer. He got under the covers and went into bed. He looked at his plush Frillish, which was on the nightstand next to his bed. Marlon then went to sleep as the setting sun gradually brought darkness to his house.

Meanwhile, Nina and Rachel were writing the article that they planned.

"Put this in the article!" said Nina. "And this! No, not that...that! Oh, damn! This article is going to be Article of the Year!"

"This is funny!" said Rachel. "This article is going to shock all of Unova! We will see how it goes. Bet ol' Marlon is going to like it very much!"

Ten minutes later...

"This is awesome!" said Nina. "Please - print it out!"

Rachel printed out the article. She looked through the format - it consisted of an article and various pictures of Marlon, including some that were rather embarrassing. Nina and Rachel looked at the finished article and laughed at the troublesome pictures.

"Good work, Rachel!" said Nina.

"Couldn't have done it without you," said Rachel.

"Let's show this shit to the boss," said Nina.

Nina and Rachel showed their finished article to their boss. Then the boss sent the article to the printer. Soon enough, the magazine was finished, and it was ready for distribution. It became the cover story of the article. This is definitely not good - Marlon is going to be very angry when he sees the magazine!


	3. I Have No Mouth

_**A/N: **This is the chapter that includes the dreaded news article that trashes Marlon. Read at your own risk. XD_

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**CHAPTER 3: I HAVE NO MOUTH, AND I MUST SCREAM**

The next day, the latest issue of the National Gymquirer hit the stores. Nina and Rachel were in Castelia City to distribute the first issues in the morning.

"Welcome, welcome!" said Nina. "Here is a magazine article about Humilau City's very own Gym Leader, Marlon! It's hip, it's happening, and it's scandalous!"

"Read all about it!" said Rachel. Here she paused. "I know that's kinda cliche, but I like saying it!" Then she resumed. "Only 100 PokeDollars per copy! It's going to be the best article you have ever read! Trust us - would Nina Faustini and Rachel Petit lie?"

People were paying their money to get issues of the National Gymquirer. Nina was handing out the issues, while Rachel was collecting the money.

Meanwhile, in Humilau City, Hugh had purchased an article of the magazine. He was reading it to himself.

"Now this is interesting!" said Hugh. "I never looked at Marlon that way. I assumed that he was irresponsible for not knowing who Team Plasma was, but come on - this takes the cake for what an idiot he is! I wouldn't have thought that Marlon was such an embarrassing person!"

Nate, who was coming downstairs from one of the Pokemon Center bedrooms, decided to take a look at Hugh. Nate was wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt and black shorts.

"Hi, Hugh!" said Nate.

"Sup, Nate!" said Hugh.

"What are you reading?" Nate asked Hugh.

"Only the most hilarious article in the National Gymquirer," said Hugh. "It's all about Marlon, the local Gym Leader!"

"I hope it isn't too bad," said Nate. "The National Gymquirer can be a bit...mean, don't you think?"

"Mean?" said Hugh. "Ha! This magazine exposes the truth about the Gym Leaders of this world! Remember their exposure of Clay's controversial mining scheme?"

"I thought that was really mean," said Nate. "It made Clay look like a jerk."

Hugh was getting desperate to show Nate. "I have a pack of green apple Air Heads!" he said. "I know they're your favorite!"

Nate agreed to this. "I have a hard time passing up candy," he said. "Okay." Hugh gave Nate the Air Heads. Nate started eating them.

Nate looked at the cover of the National Gymquirer magazine. The cover had the words _Marlon's Shocking Secrets_ printed in big neon pink words. It had a picture of Marlon in his pajamas with his right hand on his forehead. There were also other pictures that Nina and Rachel had taken of Marlon.

"This doesn't look good," said Nate.

Nate opened up the magazine and turned to the article. What he read shocked him.

_**MARLON: A KETTLE OF FISH**_

_Hi, everyone! Nina F. and Rachel P. here. Yesterday, we were in Humilau City looking for a good story. And we couldn't resist having the focus be of Marlon, the local Gym Leader. We went around town observing Marlon, and we found a lot of interesting secrets._

_The first thing is related to swimming. Marlon was hanging out with a young man. I don't know the kid...I think his name's Nathan. Marlon was helping him swim. Marlon always seems to be a good swim coach. He should do it professionally. But that's his decision to make, not ours. He was also washing his trademark swim pants. I didn't know that they needed daily maintenance. What are those pants made of, anyway? Fish skin? He swims so fast in them!_

_But that's not the best part. Marlon was coughing a lot afterwards, so he went to the Pokemon Center. We decided to take a look at him. The nurse said that he has laryngitis. When we saw him later, not only did he look all sick, but he couldn't even talk! It was so weird - he was like a mime! He was making weird gestures with his face and his hands. It was awful - we were so creeped out! It's like he was trying to freak us out!_

_And while we were at the Pokemon Center, Marlon knocked over his tote bag. All sorts of stuff came out - including a plush Frillish! I don't know what to say. Why would an adult play with toys? I guess Marlon wants to stay a baby forever! And he didn't strike us as particularly immature. I guess we don't want to be judgemental. Oh wait...we already were._

_That's all for now. See you next time!_

Not only was there this awful piece of yellow journalism, but there were plenty of pictures for all to see. These pictures were very humiliating.

"Hugh!" said Nate. "These pictures aren't funny! They totally trash Marlon!"

"So?" said Hugh.

"So?" said Nate. "This is serious! How would you like it if I wrote an article telling about how you wet the bed until you were nine?"

This was one of Hugh's most embarrassing secrets. His little sister used to tease him about it.

"SHHH!" said Hugh. "I told you never to bring that up!"

"Okay," said Nate. "Nobody heard us."

"I guess this is serious," said Hugh. "You're right: this isn't as funny as I thought it was."

"I better go to Marlon's," said Nate. "Is Rosa still in town?"

"Yes," said Hugh.

"I'll go get her," said Nate. "She's very helpful."

Let's look at Marlon. Marlon was relaxing in his house. He was drinking a bottle of Orangina. He was trying to relax since that laryngitis was very stressful. He had been outside that morning, and he didn't know why everyone was laughing.

Marlon was surprised to hear a knock on his door. He rushed over to the door, with the drink in his hand. Marlon opened the door. He saw Nate standing in the front. Rosa was behind Nate. Rosa was wearing a pink sundress with red cherries on it. She was holding a copy of the latest National Gymquirer. Nate had asked Rosa to follow him to Marlon's house.

"Hi, Marlon," said Nate.

Marlon smiled. He normally didn't get this many visitors.

"There's something that we need to tell you," said Rosa. Marlon looked at her with big eyes.

"Did you get the article in the National Gymquirer?" asked Nate.

Marlon shook his head. He normally didn't read the National Gymquirer. After all, it was full of nonsense.

"You were the focus of the latest issue," said Nate.

Marlon made a gesture to let Nate and Rosa in. Marlon drank the rest of his Orangina bottle and threw the empty bottle out. Rosa lay the article on the table.

"I'll read it to you," said Rosa. "I know you can't talk right now, but you can listen."

Rosa read the article to Marlon. She also showed him all the pictures. Pretty soon, the article was finished. Marlon wanted to scream after hearing what he had read. But when he tried to let out a scream, all that came out was a hoarse groan. This laryngitis really did a number on Marlon's voice.


	4. Marlon's Letter

**CHAPTER 4: MARLON'S LETTER**

Marlon was in a pickle. He could not believe that he was dehumanized by the National Gymquirer. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't talk to them, since he had really bad laryngitis. He didn't even know if he could write to them, since Gym Leaders did not normally write to the National Gymquirer.

Nate and Rosa were still in Marlon's house. They were wondering what Marlon could do in the meantime.

"I don't know what we can do," said Nate. "But we can help you feel better."

Marlon groaned.

"You know, Marlon," said Rosa, "you can always write to the National Gymquirer if you're not completely satisfied with their articles. They accept fan letters all the time - and they are fine with hate letters. They get plenty of hate letters, too. One can only imagine the amound of hate letters that the National Gymquirer gets!"

"And guess what?" said Nate. "I'm not completely satisfied with the National Gymquirer's article! It is probably the most mean-spirited article I've seen in there yet."

"I agree," said Rosa. "They will put anything in the National Gymquirer just to sell stuff. Remember the issue where they claimed that Cress's hair was a wig?"

"Cress took it very well," said Nate. "I give him credit for that."

Marlon wrote down in his notepad. He was using this notepad to write notes to communicate with others. When Marlon finished the note, Rosa picked it up.

"How often do they publish those crazy articles?" read Rosa.

"I don't know," said Nate. "I think it's weekly. Look at the magazine."

Rosa picked up the magazine and looked at the date. It consisted of a day, a month, and a year. This meant that it was a weekly magazine.

"It _is_ weekly," said Rosa. "You can still write into the magazine. Just be warned that it will take a week for the people of Unova to see what you were writing. But if you want to get your point across to the people of the National Gymquirer, it would be best if you wrote it right away."

"Definitely," said Nate. "You should write to them as soon as you can."

Marlon wrote another note for Nate and Rosa. It read: Care to stay for lunch?"

"We would like to stay for lunch," said Nate.

Marlon walked over to his refrigerator and took out some bottles of sparkling blueberry juice. Nate and Rosa knew that Marlon was a big fan of sparkling drinks and never seemed to run out of them. He took out a box that was filled with various salami and a goulash stew.

"Where did you get that?" asked Rosa.

"Maybe it's in his pad," said Nate.

Nate read the pad. He saw something written down about the meal. _Grimsley gave me these. It's his grandmother's recipe for Hungarian goulash stew. The sausages are Hungarian. I can't eat all of this myself. Hopefully someone will eat it with me._

"Why sure, Marlon," said Nate. "We'll share it with you."

"Hmm," said Rosa. "I knew it! That's where the Boros family is from!"

Rosa put the box on the table. Marlon, Nate, and Rosa began to eat the food.

After they were done, Nate and Rosa told Marlon that they had to leave.

"We have to go," said Rosa. "Don't forget to write the letter to the National Gymquirer!"

Marlon nodded his head and gave two thumbs up.

"Good luck with that," said Nate. "We'll be back at your house later. Bye!"

Rosa and Nate left Marlon's house.

Marlon got to writing his letter. He tried to think of what to write, but it was hard to think of something. Then Marlon had an idea. He thought of something good to write down in the letter.

Eventually, Marlon finished the letter. Here is what it said.

_To Whom It May Concern,_

_Sup, guys! This is Marlon writing._

_Yes, this is Marlon. The Gym Leader of Humilau City. The same guy who you wrote about in the National Gymquirer. The guy who has crazy swim pants, a plush Frillish, and a fit of laryngitis._

_I am writing to you because I want to tell you that I didn't find your article to be funny. Not funny at all. It was really hurtful, and you know it. And what's so funny about someone getting laryngitis? It's not like it's the worst thing in the world. You're acting like it's worse than AIDS or something. I don't like that your magazine has to make up stories about us Gym Leaders so people can laugh at us. I don't think that's fair. I wouldn't write an article about your problems, now would I? That is why I would like you to stop making up stories about people and to tell the truth._

_I hope I don't offend you with this letter, but I just want to get my point across so that it doesn't go over your head._

_Sincerely, Marlon_

Marlon decided to make copies of the letter at the Pokemon Center. Then he sealed the original letter in an envelope and put it in a mailbox.

_That will teach them,_ thought Marlon.

Marlon went to the Pokemon Center afterwards. He wanted to see the nurse.

Nurse Tanya was reading a magazine (no, not the National Gymquirer) while Marlon waited in the lounge. Another nurse notified her of Marlon's presence.

"Tanya!" said the other nurse. "Marlon is here to see you."

"That's nice," said Tanya. She then realized that it was Marlon. "I wonder what he's here for. He should be at his house resting. It's not good for someone with laryngitis to be walking around out in the open. Right, Nurse Jean?"

"Yes, Tanya," said Jean (the other nurse). Jean was surprised about Marlon's visit as well - she thought that he should be at home.

Nurse Tanya went looking for Marlon. She saw him in the lounge. She smiled at the fact that he was wearing his pajamas.

"Marlon!" she said. "What brings you back to the Pokemon Center?"

Marlon tried to say something, but all that came out was coughing.

"Oh I get it," said Tanya. "You need something to help your laryngitis! Just wait right here - I have something for you to take." Tanya hurried to her drawer and took out a bag. She returned with the bag to Marlon.

"Here are some lemon drops," said Tanya. "Take a few of these a day, and it will help your laryngitis go away. I've taken them myself, and they work wonders for my throat! I'm sure they will help you too."

Marlon took the bag and nodded his head.

"But listen to this, Marlon," said Tanya. "You might want to stay at home while you have laryngitis. You don't want it to spread to anyone. That's why I'm telling you to stay at home as long as you have laryngitis. You can get out of bed, but you might want to stay in bed as much as possible. I'll get someone to help you."

Marlon agreed to this. He decided that he would go home.

When Marlon got home, he decided that he would stay in bed, so he lay down in bed and tried to get some rest.

Later that day, during the evening, Marlon got another visit from Nate and Rosa. They went to Marlon's bed - he had put a Post-it on his door saying that he was in his bedroom. Nate and Rosa went in Marlon's bedroom. They saw Marlon sleeping in bed. He had his neck warmer around his neck.

"Hey, Marlon!" said Rosa. "How are you doing?"

Marlon gave a thumbs down.

"I know it's hard for you," said Nate. "But we are totally sympathetic to you. We'll help you in your time of need. Did you write the letter and mail it?"

Marlon nodded his head.

"Great!" said Nate. "I'm glad you did. Rosa and I talked to one of the women at the Pokemon Center - she will come by your house to take care of you. She will even make your meals. You won't have to worry about a thing. Just think of it as a treat."

"We will also find out more about these writers," said Rosa. "According to the magazine, their names are Nina Faustini and Rachel Petit. I don't know much about them, but we will go around asking for information. I hope we can be a big help to you, Marlon!"

Marlon smiled.

"Good," said Rosa. She patted Marlon's head, stroking the tuft of hair shaped like a shark fin. "We're starting tomorrow."

"We don't know much about Nina and Rachel," said Nate. "But I'm sure there are a lot of people who know about them."

"And in the meantime," said Rosa, "wait for the next issue of the National Gymquirer. And, more importantly, wait for your voice to come back. It should be back soon. Did the nurse say that it was serious?"

Marlon shook his head.

"Excellent," said Rosa. "Then it should be back at least a day before the new issue of the National Gymquirer hits the stores."

"In the meantime," said Nate, "get some rest. It helps me when I'm sick."

Marlon gave a thumbs up to Nate and Rosa.

"Mission: Nina and Rachel has begun," said Rosa.


	5. Visits, Part I

_**A/N: **I do not own the song "Tubs". It belongs to The Simpsons._

_Shannon, one of the women at Cress's meeting, is the sister of Sydney from my fanfic "Easy Amnesia"._

_The mention of one of the player characters leaving Unova is a spoiler from Black 2 and White 2. That's where I got the idea to tell what happened to Hilbert and Hilda._

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: VISITS, PART I**

The next day, Nate and Rosa decided to investigate. Marlon had requested (by writing down a note) that the two visit some of the other Gym Leaders in the hopes that they would give him moral support. Marlon had a list of people to see - the Gym Leaders whom Marlon was closest with.

"Okay," said Rosa reading the list, "first we should visit Cress."

"They are living in an apartment now," said Nate. "We should go there."

Nate and Rosa looked for the Striaton trio's apartment. They searched the streets while riding on the back of Nate's Sigilyph.

"Hey look!" said Rosa. "It's 165 Willow Drive. Land this thing!"

Nate parked Sigilyph at the bike rack in front of the apartment. The two got off the weird-looking bird Pokemon. Then Nate put Sigilyph back in its Poke Ball. Nate and Rosa looked at the apartment. It was a four-floor apartment with red brick walls. Rosa looked at the front. It was indeed the right place.

"Now let's go in," said Rosa. The two went inside the apartment building. They made a left at the entrace and saw a door numbered 1. This was where the Striaton brothers lived. Nate knocked on the door.

"Come in," said Cilan.

Nate and Rosa entered the Striaton trio's apartment. They walked in the living room, where they saw Cress and a few others. Cress was dressed in a maroon smoking jacket, black pants, and a red ascot. Bianca was also present. She was dressed in a green halter top and a yellow skirt, and had a green headband on her head. There were three other women: Shannon Neville, one of the granddaughters of the Day Care couple; Marcia Lundgren, who worked at the Striaton Pokemon Center; and Jennifer Yu, a worker at the Striaton trio's restaurant. Shannon was a 23-year-old woman with long green hair, a yellow shirt, and beige capris. Marcia was in her late twenties. She had light brown hair, and she wore a pink shirt and a light blue skirt. Jennifer was 19 years old. She had black hair in a ponytail. She was wearing a red shirt and orange sweatpants.

Everyone at the meeting had Pokemon with them. Cress had Panpour, Bianca had Munna, Shannon had Buneary, Marcia had Minccino, and Jennifer had Drilbur. There was a small radio in the room with a CD case next to it. Cress picked up the CD case and looked at it. It said _Music to Go Ga-Ga Over_.

"Hmm," said Cress.

Cress put the CD in the disc and it started to play a silly song. Everyone started to sway with the music.

_Tubs are for bath time_

_And water-splashy fun_

_But there's one thing_

_That must never be done!_

(Here Cress started to sing along.)

_Poop in the tub_

_Poop in the tub_

_I'm not gonna_

_Poop in the tub!_

The song stopped and Cress paused. Nate and Rosa were shocked.

"Cress?" asked Nate. "What are you doing?"

Cress turned around and faced Nate and Rosa.

"Having our weekly Pokemon Baby Meeting," said Cress. "I'm going to get the snacks in just a moment. You can have some if you want."

"Oh," said Nate.

"And why are you wearing a smoking jacket?" asked Rosa. "It's a little hot."

"I like my smoking jacket," said Cress, looking at Rosa with a kawaii face. "And the air conditioner is on."

"You have snacks?" asked Nate. "What did you make?"

"We have deviled eggs," said Marcia.

"I made them," said Cress.

Nate didn't think this was appetizing.

"Yuck!" he said.

"That's what I said," said Bianca. "Of course, there's other things you can have."

"Nah," said Rosa. "We're not hungry."

"So," said Cress, "what brings you here?"

"It's Marlon," said Nate. "He's been really worried. He is distraught about that article that Nina and Rachel wrote. Do you think you can provide us with moral support to give to Marlon?"

"I can provide you with some," said Cress. "Marlon should know that he can always count on me to be his friend. Still, I'm not the best giver of advice. Why not ask Cilan? He's the best giver of advice in the family. He's always helping out people with all sorts of problems."

"That's wonderful!" said Nate. "It makes me feel happy that Cilan gives adivice."

Cilan walked in the room. He had a tray of deviled eggs. He put it down near Cress.

"Here you go, guys," said Cilan. He then turned to Nate and Rosa. "Hello. How are you?"

"We're fine," said Nate. "Cilan, I have a question for you."

"Sure," said Cilan. "Ask away."

"What do you think we should do about Marlon?" asked Nate. "He's humiliated because of the tabloids."

Cilan put his right hand on his chin and pondered.

"Here's what I think," said Cilan. "I think that people are going to forget about the whole ordeal after a while. They're not going to remember it forever - everyone forgets those tabloid stories eventually. Besides, Marlon will be feeling better before you know it. But in the meantime, try not to let people bother you."

"You think so?" asked Nate.

Chili walked in the room and went up to the group. He had been listening from the kitchen.

"I think so," said Cilan. "The excitement has to die down."

"Wou're talking about the National Gymquirer?" said Chili. "Oh, God. Not those bastards! Their stories are all a bunch of shit!" He looked at Nate. "We've been through those stories before. I remember one time they couldn't stop focusing on a mishap that we had at the restaurant!"

"Yeah," said Rosa. "I know how that feels."

"All of us have bad moments once in a while," said Cress. "Right, Panpour?"

Panpour nodded its head.

"You're right," said Bianca. "When we got here, Shannon here was talking about the annoying little girl at the day care!"

"Oh no," said Shannon. "You mean Harper? She is the biggest spoiled brat ever! The other day she threw a tantrum because she brought the wrong doll to school! And she kicked me in the shin. I still have a mark from it."

"We all meet annoying people," said Bianca. "Nina and Rachel are just that...annoying people."

"I get your point," said Nate.

"Do you want to stay for a little while?" asked Cilan. "You're welcome to."

"And if you want to join the group," said Shannon, "the Pokemon Baby Meetings are always willing to accept new members."

"No thanks," said Rosa. "But we'll stay a little."

"I wish Hilbert was here," said Jennifer. "He's always fun to have around. He and his Vullaby are so nice..."

Rosa was surprised.

"I thought Hilbert left Unova to look for N," she said.

"Hilbert left Unova?" said Bianca. She shook her head. "No, guys. You've got it all wrong. Hilbert's still in Unova. He's in Nuvema Town, safe and sound. He doesn't do much nowadays. Mostly he just spends his days relaxing. He also helps his parents out with work. Though sometimes he battles other Pokemon Trainers. If you want, I can arrange a meeting for you to see him."

"Maybe another time," said Rosa.

"Hilbert joined our meetings last year," said Cress. "He's the only other guy in the group. I would have invited my friend Frank, but he moved to Route 4."

"But I heard someone left Unova," said Rosa. "You mean..."

"It was Hilda who left Unova last year," said Cilan. "She went to look for N. She said she'd be back someday. But since N is back in Unova, Hilda might be back soon. Still...she took Zekrom with her. I don't know if it'll be back anytime soon."

"Do Nina and Rachel know that N returned?" asked Nate.

"No," said Bianca. "They've been oblivious to Team Plasma."

"Kinda like Marlon was," said Rosa. "Oh, well."

Rosa rolled her eyes.

"It was good that we got to hear some support," said Nate.

"Don't mention it," said Cilan.


	6. Visits, Part II

_**A/N: **Yay! Nina and Rachel are back in the story._

_Frank is from my story "Easy Amnesia"._

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: VISITS, PART II**

Nina and Rachel were in their office. They were looking at the profits that they made from the latest issue of the National Gymquirer.

"Looks like we've made thousands of dollars," said Nina, looking at the money.

"If we keep up the stories like this," said Rachel, "we should be rich."

"Then we can buy a new house," said Nina. "And even better: we can ditch this popsicle stand and work for the real, international tabloids. Imagine us reporting on famous people, like Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, Mel Gibson, Jessica Simpson, Madonna, Elton John..."

"Don't tempt me," said Rachel. "I want to work there too. But we will need to find good articles."

Rachel was looking at the huge bag of fan mail.

"And look at all these fan letters," said Rachel. "We've gotten over 300 since we've written those article."

"Care to read one of them?" asked Nina.

Rachel took out a pink envelope and opened it. She started to read it.

_Deer Nina n Rachil,_

_I luv your articlez! Dey are so kewl and so troo! That Marlon dude iz such n idiot. Are U planing to right ny moar articlez? Id luv to see moar on Marlon and the stupid stuff that he did. I want to see what he luvs to do. It is so funny n shit! I want too read the Nationel Gymqiurer next time!_

_- Laura Gill_

"Good heavens!" said Nina, looking at the article. "That article looks like it was written by a retard. I'm suprised that she can spell her own name."

"She must be a fanfic writer," said Rachel. "Maybe she's the Mary Sue."

"Yeah," said Nina. "I wonder how Marlon is doing. He's so silly. I wonder if he still has his laryngitis."

In the meantime, Nate and Rosa went to meet Elesa. Elesa wasn't at her house. Instead, she was on Route 4.

Nate and Rosa saw Elesa talking in front of a group of people. She was discussing the joys of Electric-type Pokemon.

"And that is why Electric-type Pokemon are great," said Elesa. "Any questions?"

Elesa didn't get any questions.

Nate was looking to see if he could interfere. He didn't want to ask Elesa right away, thinking that she might be busy. So he looked to one of the people - a sixteen-year-old guy with feathery blond hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a blue polo shirt and white shorts. Nate recognized him. This guy's name was Frank Zukowski - he was Cress's aformentioned friend who had recently moved to Route 4.

"Excuse me," said Nate, "but can we talk to Elesa?"

Frank turned around.

"Elesa's done lecturing," said Frank. "You'll be able to speak with her now."

"Thanks," said Rosa. "We'll be quick."

"That's good," said Frank.

A woman in the crowd looked at them. This woman was someone they recognized - it was Elesa's agent.

"You might want to be quick," said Elesa's agent. "Elesa has a bikini photo shoot in three hours."

Elesa looked at her agent. She had already noticed Nate and Rosa.

"Don't worry, Kara," said Elesa. "I have plenty of time." She turned to Nate and Rosa. "You got something to tell me?"

"We do," said Nate. "We've been spending time with Marlon. He's very upset about the article that was written about him in the National Gymquirer. But because of his laryngitis, he won't be able to talk about it with us. That's why he sent us here to see you."

"Marlon?" asked Elesa. "I am concerned for him too."

"Really?" said Nate.

"Really," said Elesa. "With laryngitis, he won't be able to communicate with the tabloids by just talking to them. But he can by writing to them. Did he do that by any chance?"

"He sent the letter yesterday," said Rosa. "But it will probably take some time to get to Nina and Rachel."

Elesa gasped. She knew all about Nina and Rachel.

"Oh no," said Elesa. "Not them! They're the most annoying writers for the National Gymquirer! They love writing stories that have little truth to them. I wish there was a way that they can be stopped. But it's hard to get enough signatures to petition the National Gymquirer to fire them."

"We don't want to see anyone get fired," said Nate. "That's a little too mean."

Frank, who was listening, added to the conversation.

"I agree," he said. "That would be sad - even for them."

"I personally think they should be fired," said Rosa, "but now's not the time to discuss that. Right now, Marlon needs moral support."

"Let him know this," said Elesa. "There are all sorts of people in this world, and there are always going to be people who aren't likable. But try not to let the unlikable people bother you."

"You're right!" said Nate. "We'll tell that to Marlon."

"You should go right away," said Frank.

"First we need to talk to Skyla," said Rosa.

After Nate and Rosa were done with Elesa, they decided to talk to Skyla. Skyla was at her house. Nate and Rosa sat with her in the den.

"It's nice to see you here," said Skyla. "I don't get a lot of visitors, but you know you are free to visit whenever you want."

"Yes," said Rosa. "But we are coming here to talk about Marlon."

"Marlon?" asked Skyla. "How is he?"

"Not to good," said Nate.

"What's going on with him?" asked Skyla. "I know he has laryngitis, but is there something else?"

"Marlon was the focus of a story in the National Gymquirer," said Nate. "The story was really rude - it talked about his laryngitis in a rude way and made fun of this little toy that he had. And the writers seem to be pretty obnoxious from what Elesa told us."

"That's terrible!" said Skyla. "But I wasn't aware of it until you told me. I don't read the National Gymquirer anymore. I stopped reading it last year because the stories are too unrealistic. They're not telling the truth about it."

"Can I do something to help him?" asked Skyla.

"He needs some advice," said Rosa.

Skyla thought about this for a minute.

"Advice?" said Skyla. "Hmm...what can I tell you? ...I got it! I'll tell you this: Marlon should not let it get to him. He shouldn't be weak and give in to the pressure. That's what I do - I don't give in to the embarrassing stories that the National Gymquirer writes."

"Thanks," said Nate.

"Let's go back to Marlon's" said Rosa.

Nate and Rosa went back to Marlon's house. They saw Marlon watching something on TV. There was crying.

"I don't want to know what he's watching," said Rosa.

Nate and Rosa walked over to the TV. They saw that Marlon was watching one of those sad old movies. It featured a man walking in a bar and a woman trying to follow him. But when the man refused her, he slammed the door behind the woman, who ended up sobbing.

"How are you doing, Marlon?" asked Nate.

Marlon gave a thumbs up to Nate and Rosa.

"We talked to everyone who you wanted us to see," said Nate. "We saw Cress, Elesa, and Skyla. They're all doing well."

Marlon smiled.

"They all had advice," said Nate. "Well, actually, Cress directed us to Cilan. Cilan told us that people will forget about the excitement sooner or later."

"Elesa told us that you should accept that there are annoying people," said Rosa, "and Skyla told us that you shouldn't let this all get to you. I hope you can take their advice."

Marlon appeared to be very happy with this advice.

"In the meantime," said Nate. "While you wait for your letter to get to the National Gymquirer, we'll keep you company."

Marlon grabbed his notepad and wrote something down. Nate read it.

"You want us to watch a movie with you?" asked Nate. "Okay. Sounds good to me."

Marlon got up and put on a DVD. He, Nate, and Rosa watched a movie together.


	7. Throwing the Golden Apple

_**A/N: **This is where there gets to be a little nudity. Don't worry; it's not graphic. There will be no super-gross descriptions._

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: THROW THE GOLDEN APPLE**

Another day passed. Nate and Rosa went to visit Marlon again. This time, Hugh came with them. Nate didn't think Hugh was good at offering support, but HUgh couldn't be convinced to stay behind.

Right now, Marlon was in bed. He was awake, but he still felt a little tired. Nate, Rosa, and HUgh were standing by Marlon's bedside.

Nate decided to give Marlon some medicine. Marlon took it with water and swallowed it. Then Marlon gave Nate a thumbs up.

"Thanks," said Marlon. His voice was still kind of hoarse. But at least Marlon could talk - before this he couldn't say anything.

"I see you're getting better," said Nate.

"Yeah," said Rosa. "You're not coughing anymore. I even heard you talk a little."

"But it's still not over," said Hugh. "They're still talking about everything."

"Oh no," said Marlon. "This sucks."

"Marlon," said Nate, "let's try to get rid of this problem as easy as possible without having to go to court."

"But you_ should_ sue them!" said Hugh. "And if you win your lawsuit, you can be rich. You can get a mansion, a yacht, and two white women."

Marlon groaned.

"Hugh," said Marlon.

"Thanks," said Nate, "but Marlon wouldn't want a pair of bimbos by his side."

Rosa heard the microwave go off. She went into the kitchen and took a bowl of soup out of the oven. Then she brought the soup back to Marlon.

"Here's some soup," said Rosa. "Hope you like it."

Marlon ate the soup.

"That reminds me," said Hugh. "We were going to take you to meet Colress today."

"Colress?" asked Marlon.

"You can't be serious," said Rosa.

"I _am_ serious," said Hugh. "It's been over three weeks since we last saw him in the Plasma Frigate. He said that he wanted to see us."

"But why do you want to bring Marlon?" asked Rosa.

"I figured that Marlon would get to know more about Team Plasma," said Hugh.

Marlon was thinking about this. He didn't want to see Colress, but he figured that Hugh was too convincing.

"Okay," said Marlon.

"I'll go find Colress," said Hugh. "You get Marlon ready. Arrive at the Pokemon Center in an hour."

Hugh left for the Pokemon Center.

Nate and Rosa got Marlon ready. They got Marlon showered and dressed. When Marlon took a shower, he forgot to close the door. Marlon allowed Nate to use the bathroom while he was in the shower. Nate, of course, looked away since he didn't want anyone seeing his wiener.

An hour later, Nate and Rosa arrived at the Pokemon Center where Hugh waited with Colress, the notorious Team Plasma scientist. When Nate and Rosa saw Colress, they were surprised that he was still in his thick lab coat. They thought it would have been better if he had gone without that lab coat.

"Hello, Colress," said Nate nervously.

"What brings you here?" asked Colress.

"Oh, nothing," said Rosa.

"Marlon wants to say hello," said Nate.

Marlon was kind of nervous.

"Hi," said Marlon with a hoarse voice.

"His voice sounds really bad," said Colress. "Then again, I _was_ reading the National Gymquirer!"

"Damn," said Marlon.

"Colress wants to tell us some good news," said Hugh.

"I took the wings off of the Plasma Frigate," said Colress. "It's going to spend its time sailing between P2 Laboratory and Driftveil City. I'm planning a vacation to Sinnoh in a few months. Do you want to come?"

"I'll think about it," said Nate.

"Me too," said Rosa.

Marlon showed a lot of hesitance around Colress. He didn't trust this guy. He wanted to get out of it soon. Then, Colress' phone rang.

"Ooh," said Colress. "I have an important call to take. I'll be back in a while."

Colress went into another room. But now Marlon was going to get a good deal of pain...

Nate and Rosa saw two women entering the Pokemon Center. Both of them were clad in business clothing. One of them had a green bouffant. They recognized these people to be Nina and Rachel. A crowd of people followed them.

"Oh no," said Marlon. "The reporters! They're here!"

Nina and Rachel walked up to the group.

"And what are you bastards doing here?" asked Hugh.

"We have found Marlon!" said Nina. "The paparazzi wanted to take pictures."

"And they have questions for you," said Rachel.

Marlon looked at the paparazzi. He saw that they were asking him questions. All of the questions were not only obnoxious, but they made no sense at all.

_Hey Marlon - are you going to spread laryngitis to the other Gym Leaders?_

_Is it true that you sleep in a crib too?_

_Are you going to trade in your swim pants for a security blanket skirt?_

_Are you quarantined?_

_What do you think of the National Gymquirer?_

Marlon tried to scream at the top of his lungs, but all that came out was a hoarse moan. The paparazzi moved into take pictures. Marlon was so overwhelmed by these paparazzi. He started to feel dizzy. He turned around and slowly fell to the ground. Now he was unconscious.

"Hey," said Nate, "you're not being fair! Marlon deserves to have sympathy."

"Sympathy is for the weak," said Nina.

"When you publish articles," said Rachel, "you strike hard. No mercy!"

"Oh, brother!" said Hugh.

"Can you please stop?" asked Rosa.

"Nina and I are just doing our jobs," said Rachel.

"Yeah," said Rosa, "and you're humiliating people! Leave Marlon alone - he didn't do anything to you."

"Do you have a way to get out of this?" asked Nate.

"I know," said Hugh.

Hugh jerked his head towards the crowd and made and evil grin.

"Hey ladies," said Hugh. "You know that you're both over 30, and you have never been with a man? Both of you are still single. And I know for a fact that you're going to die alone. You'll end up being alone and unloved - living with hordes of cats."

Nina and Rachel gasped.

"Oh...no!" said Rachel.

"Quick!" said Nina. "Get out! Everyone get out!"

Nina and Rachel ran away screaming. The paparazzi followed them.

"That's right," said Hugh. "Show's over. Now scram! Get your asses back to chasing drug-addicted hos!"

Nate and Rosa went to wake Marlon up. Marlon woke up.

"What happened?" asked Marlon.

"You passed out," said Nate. "But don't worry. The paparazzi are gone."

"I don't know if I can take this any longer," said Marlon.

"Don't worry," said Rosa. "You sound a little better. Maybe soon you'll be fully recovered. Just get more rest and you'll be completely healed."

Colress walked back into the room.

"I heard a bunch of morons with cameras," said Colress. "What was going on?"

"Nina Faustini and Rachel Petit were here," said Rosa. "They had a bunch of paparazzi with them."

"Oh my," said Colress. "Someone must have thrown the golden apple of discord."

"Tell me about it," said Hugh.

"They need to back off," said Colress. "Marlon deserves a little sympathy."

"I really do," said Marlon. "I have never been so humiliated."

"It's almost over," said Nate. "We'll continue to support you."

Marlon got up from the floor. He stretched his arms.

"I think I want to go home," said Marlon.

"Okay," said Nate.

"We'll take you back," said Rosa.

Nate, Rosa, Hugh, and Marlon started to leave.

"It was nice to see you again," said Colress. "Bye!"

Colress looked on as everyone else left.

"Those tabloid people are like my old boss," he said to himself. "I don't know who's worse."


	8. Marlon Gets Better

_**A/N: **Now it looks like Marlon has gotten through the laryngitis. But can he get through the stress?_

_I haven't been getting any reviews lately. I hope I can get a review._

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: MARLON GETS BETTER**

When Marlon was brought back to his home, he lay down in bed. Nate, Rosa, and Hugh were there to comfort him. Marlon was still reeling from the humiliation that he had gotten at the Pokemon Center.

"Ugh," said Marlon. "I'm feeling worse."

"You don't sound worse," said Hugh. "You sound somewhat better."

"I think he means that the attention he got from the paparazzi made him feel worse," said Rosa.

"Yeah," said Nate. "I would feel worse if I was being hounded by paparazzi who are attached to a stupid and damaging story."

"Just take your medicine and relax," said Rosa. "Unfortunately, we can't stick around for long. Nate and I have to get back to our homes in Aspertia City. Nate's mom wants him to spend some time home since she's kind of worried. But you can call either one of us if you need a word with us."

"I'll be in town," said Hugh. "Don't you worry about a thing."

Marlon moaned.

After everyone else left, Marlon decided to make dinner. While he was eating dinner, he heard the mailman. Marlon went to get the letters. He saw that they were from his relatives in the neighboring region - they had finally gotten to sending him letters.

In the meantime, Nate went back to his house at sunset. His mom, Cosima, was in the living room reading.

"Hi, Mom," said Nate.

"Hi," said Cosima. "How's Marlon doing?"

"He's okay," said Nate. "He should be getting better soon. But he's not happy."

"What's wrong?" asked Cosima. "Is it the paparazzi?"

"You're right on the money," said Nate. "Nina Faustini and Rachel Petit led them. You know Nina and Rachel - they're those two crazy ladies who write for the National Gymquirer. They want to get attention."

"That's terrible," said Cosima. "But don't be too hard on yourself. It'll be over soon. Marlon should be relieved when he is able to talk normally."

"I'm tired," said Nate. "I've run around so much lately."

Nate yawned. Cosima saw that he was half-asleep.

"Would you like to go to bed?" she said.

"Sure," said Nate. "Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Nate," said Cosima. "See you in the morning!"

Nate went to his room and closed the door. He put his shoes near the doorway. He then got into bed and fell asleep.

In the meantime, Marlon had fallen asleep himself. We see him in bed, lying down with his hands and body snuggled up to give the image of a fetal position. He looked very peaceful in his trance. But what was going on inside of his head?

(Cut to Marlon's dream.)

Marlon woke up to a bright, sunny day. The sky was clear and there was no wind at all. Marlon got out of bed and greeted the day. He then went to get dressed, and once he was dressed, he left the house.

Marlon walked along the docks that held up the houses of Humilau City. He saw that there were people hanging out. When they saw Marlon, they greeted him. Marlon waved hello to them. He wasn't talking, though.

Then, the dream would get spoiled.

When Marlon had reached the end of the pier and went to the Pokemon Center, he saw Nina and Rachel standing in front of the building. The two were grinning sadistically.

Marlon reluctantly waved hello to them.

"Looks like you still can't talk," said Nina.

"Your doctor said that you'd never be able to talk again," said Rachel. "I got a hold of him."

"And we have all the latest stories on you," said Nina.

"We had so many," said Rachel, "we published a book on them!"

Rachel took out a book from behind her. The book had an embarrassing photograph of Marlon on the cover. The title of the book was called _Exposed! The Story of Marlon_. It was very hard for Marlon to look at, since the photo was so hideous. Marlon wanted to flee, but before he knew it, a crowd of people had gathered around him. They proceeded to laugh at him.

Marlon tried to open his mouth and scream, but no noise came out.

(End of Marlon's dream. Cut back to reality.)

It was morning now. The sun had just risen from the east.

Marlon woke up and screamed. The dream that he had was very uncomfortable. But one thing Marlon noticed made him happy.

"Hmm," said Marlon, "I'm all better. I don't have laryngitis anymore."

Marlon thought about it for a second.

"WOOHOO!" he exclaimed. It was true. Marlon was cured of his laryngitis.

Next, Marlon got out of bed. He was able to do his morning routine. Marlon felt blissful about his recovery.

"I should call Nate and Rosa," said Marlon.

Cut to Nate's house. Nate was sleeping as well. To his left he had a Koopa Troopa doll. To the right was his nightstand, where he had an alarm clock, as well as his cell phone.

Nate's cell phone rang. This made Nate wake up and grab it. He was very tired, but he managed to do it.

"Hello?" asked Nate.

"Sup!" said Marlon. "It's Marlon."

"It's 7:30 AM," said Nate. "I'm tired."

"Well don't be," said Marlon. "I have to tell you something. I'm all better! The laryngitis is gone!"

Nate yawned.

"Wonderful!" he said. "I'll stop by later. Right now, I want to get a little more rest."

"Okay," said Marlon. "But don't sleep too much!"

Nate rolled his eyes.

"See you later," he said. He hung up.

Marlon then called Rosa. Rosa was wide awake. Unlike Nate, she did not sleep a lot. Rosa was making breakfast.

"Hello," said Rosa.

"Hey," said Marlon. "It's Marlon. I'm all better. I can talk now!"

"Great!" said Rosa. "I knew it was only going to last a little while."

"Want to come over later?" asked Marlon. "Nate's coming."

"Okay," said Rosa. "But just for a little bit. I'm kinda busy today."

"Sure," said Marlon. "Talk to you later. Bye!"

Marlon hung up. He was trying to control his energy, but it was just too much - the excitement of not having laryngitis had consumed him.


	9. Do We Need To Get Even?

_**A/N: **I decided to finish the story a lot quicker than I was going to plan, since I wasn't too interested in making this long. There will only be one more chapter after this one. I was getting bored with this story, but I don't want it to be a dead fic._

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: DO WE NEED TO GET EVEN?**

Later, Nate and Rosa were in Humilau City. They were sitting on a bench, talking about something.

"I'm glad that Marlon is feeling better," said Nate.

"I am too," said Rosa, "but how are we going to stop Nina and Rachel, those two crazy reporters? They still seem to be laughing about their report."

Nate scratched his head.

"Actually, people don't seem to be talking about Marlon anymore," said Nate. "I haven't heard anyone talk about Marlon all day. I think they've gotten bored with the whole story and decided to forget about it. Besides, not everyone was laughing - just Nina and Rachel and the paparazzi."

"That's quite a relief!" said Rosa.

"Still," said Nate, "how are we going to stop Nina and Rachel?"

"I don't know," said Rosa.

"Let's go see Marlon and think of a way to solve this problem," said Nate.

Nate and Rosa made their way to Marlon's house. They knocked on his front door. Marlon opened the door. When Nate and Rosa looked at him, they saw that he was much better than before. He wasn't feeling ill at all.

"Sup, guys!" said Marlon.

"Sup, Marlon!" said Rosa.

"I see that you're doing much better than before," said Nate.

"Never better," said Marlon. "Well, come on in! Hugh and I are discussing an important matter."

"Sure," said Rosa.

Nate and Rosa went inside Marlon's house. They walked over to his kitchen table. Hugh was sitting at the table, reading a letter.

"Hey, Hugh," said Rosa. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing alright," said Hugh. "I was talking to Marlon about his letter."

"I guess that's what that other letter is for," said Nate. He sat down next to Hugh.

"Yep," said Hugh. "The National Gymquirer wanted to thank Marlon for the letter that he wrote."

"That was nice of them," said Rosa.

Marlon walked over to the group.

"I see you read my letter," he said.

"We did," said Hugh.

"Marlon," said Rosa, sitting down in a chair, "what were you and Hugh discussing?"

"We were discussing the importance of solving this problem without any further problems," said Marlon. "Hugh wants me to sue the National Gymquirer."

"I do," said Hugh. "It was unfair of them to do what they did. I think you should sue."

"I disagree," said Nate. "I don't want to see the National Gymquirer in big trouble."

"Why, Nate?" asked Rosa. "Wouldn't it be good to sue?"

Nate was looking very serious now.

"I don't think it's right to sue people," said Nate. "I don't want to have this lawsuit crap take up the whole summer! We should let the boss of the National Gymquirer handle Nina and Rachel themselves."

"I get your point," said Rosa.

"Well," said Marlon, "I totally agree with Nate."

"Marlon's a laid-back guy," said Nate. "He isn't the type of person who holds grudges."

"But then the National Gymquirer will write more articles dehumanizing Marlon," said Hugh.

"Not if we let the National Gymquirer take care of its own problems," said Rosa. "Tabloids get criticized all the time. We can't fight all of the misinformation presented in these articles - it would take too much time and waste a lot of money. Besides, do we really need to get even?"

Hugh thought about it for a second. He was in a pickle. He was trying to understand what Rosa said, seeing her point of view - that Marlon should just go with the flow. But he was also afraid that the National Gymquirer wouldn't fire Nina and Rachel and let them write more articles.

Finally, Hugh came to an epiphany.

"I guess you're right," said Hugh. "Fighting never solves anything."

"Thanks," said Nate.

* * *

Meanwhile, Nina Faustini and Rachel Petit were in the office of their boss. Their boss was of the pointy-haired variety. She was an evil-looking middle aged woman with pointy blonde hair and blue eyes. She wore a black business suit. Her name was Ms. Lois Vaughn. She wasn't exactly the warmest person.

"Hello, ladies," said Ms. Vaughn.

"Hello," said Nina and Rachel.

"I have been reviewing your work," said Ms. Vaughn.

"Oh, good," said Nina.

"I'm sure you will see no problems," said Rachel.

Ms. Vaughn rocked in her chair.

"Actually, ladies," said Ms. Vaughn, "I do see a problem with your work. First, we got the complaint from Marlon."

"So?" said Nina.

"And we got the complaint from the Gym Leaders Union," said Ms. Vaughn. "They told us that they would threaten legal action if we do not make changes."

"Legal action?" asked Rachel. "You're kidding, right?"

"NO!" snapped Ms. Vaughn. "And secondly, I heard a complaint that you were trying to upstage this company. One of our workers told me that you two were trying to take over this company and sell us."

"I beg your pardon?" said Nina.

"You can't be serious," said Rachel. "There's no tape recording."

"Actually, there is," said Ms. Vaughn.

Ms. Vaughn played the tape recorder.

Ha ha! Now that Marlon is out of the way, we can take over this company!

Right! And then we can sell it out to a real tabloid! And we'll be RICH - and we won't die alone! HA HA!

"That sounds like your voices," said Ms. Vaughn.

"Who gives a shit?" said Rachel.

"And what can you do?" asked Nina.

Ms. Vaughn grinned an evil grin.

"I'm going to call security and ask them to escort you off the premesis," said Ms. Vaughn.

Nina and Rachel gulped. This didn't look good - not at all.


	10. Conclusion

_**A/N:** Yay! The final chapter of this story has been published! My writing of this thing is over! I'm free!_

_Anyway...on to the story._

* * *

**CHAPTER 10: CONCLUSION**

Nate, Rosa, Hugh, and Marlon were on their way to Castelia City - they were traveling by bus. They had the plan of telling the National Gymquirer about their plans.

We look at everone on the bus. Nate and Rosa are sitting next to each other. They are wearing their usual cloths. Hugh is next to Marlon - they are located in the seat in front of Nate and Rosa. Marlon is wearing a blackT-shirt and a pair of beige shorts.

"Do you think it will work, Marlon?" asked Nate.

"You mean solving this peacefully?" said Marlon.

"Yes," said Rosa.

"I think it will work," said Marlon. "It has to. There's no other way to repress any lawsuits so this doesn't get carried away."

Hugh looked at Marlon.

"Did you sent e-mails to the other Gym Leaders?" he asked.

"I did," said Marlon. "I sent e-mails to all of them. I think it's unnecessary to have a lawsuit. I'm a laid-back kind of guy; my life is relatively simple. I don't need complicated problems that would lead me into all sorts of shit."

"I couldn't agree with you more," said Nate.

"What about Nina and Rachel?" asked Rosa. "Are they going to respond?"

"I don't know," said Marlon. "For all I know, they could have been..."

The bus came to a screeching stop. Nate nearly jumped out if his seat.

"What was that?" asked Nate, panicking a little.

"The bus almost ran a red light," said Marlon. "They should be more careful."

"Yeah, really," said Hugh. "I don't want to get into an accident."

"Let's just try to think of going to Castelia City," said Rosa.

Eventually, Nate, Rosa, Hugh, and Marlon reached Castelia City. They were dropped off at a bus stop. Nate, Rosa, and Hugh didn't know where the National Gymquirer building was, so they decided to ask Marlon for directions.

"Excuse me," said Nate, "but since you've been to the National Gymquirer building before, can you tell us where it is?"

"Sure thing," said Marlon. "I'm quite good with directions."

Rosa looked at the nearest street sign.

"We're on 15th Street," she said. "Which way do we go?"

"First you go east," said Marlon, "until you hit Pine Street."

Marlon showed the other people in the group the way. He led everyone through a series of streets, which included crossing several crosswalks. After about 20 minutes, Marlon had led everyone to the National Gymquirer, located on a street known as Leeway Street.

Nate, Rosa, and Hugh looked up at the building. It was a somewhat tall building with glass windows.

"Here it is," said Marlon. "The headquarters are right in this building. They're on the 20th floor."

"Okay," said Nate. "Let's go inside."

The group went inside. They walked in the lobby. They were about to reach the elevator, when Marlon saw Nina and Rachel sitting on a bench. They were with their Sneasel Igor. They looked down in the dumps.

"What gives?" Hugh asked the two women. "Why are you sitting here, moping around?"

"We got fired," said Nina.

"Ms. Vaughn was not impressed with us," said Rachel, "so she gave us the boot."

"I think I can understand why," said Rosa.

"Yeah," said Rachel. "Go ahead and laugh at us. See how we're going to die alone!"

"Oh, brother," said Hugh.

"The company issued an apology for the article," said Nina. "They're going to confiscate all the unsold copies."

"Thanks for the apology," said Marlon. "But I'm still not thrilled with what you did."

Rachel sighed. Igor scratched her playfully.

"I know," she said. "I guess we're not going to be rich after all."

"Just go ahead and file the lawsuit," said Nina.

Nate took a deep breath.

"You don't have to worry," he said.

"What?" asked Nina.

"There isn't going to be any lawsuit," said Marlon. "I thought that it would be best not to take revenge. The apology is enough."

A blue-haired woman came over to Marlon with a bag of money.

"Are you Marlon?" asked the woman.

"Yes," said Marlon.

"Hi, Marlon," said the woman. "My name is Sherry, and I'm with the National Gymquirer. This bag contains the compensation for the damages that the company may have done to your image. We're terribly sorry for what happened to you."

"Thank you very much," said Marlon, taking the bag.

"You're welcome!" said Sherry. She walked away.

Marlon looked back at Nina and Rachel.

"So," he said, "what are your plans for the future?"

"We're going to go look for something," said Rachel. "Maybe we'll be waitresses or something."

"Definitely not journalists, though," said Nina.

Nate looked at Marlon.

"You think it's time to go?" asked Nate.

"I think it is," said Marlon. He turned to Nina and Rachel. "See you whenever..."

Nate, Rosa, Hugh, and Marlon walked away and left the National Gymquirer.

After the four of them had gone, Thea Tomlinson was walking in, with her Purrloin in her arms.

"HA!" she said to Nina and Rachel. "Pathetic!"

"You don't have to rub it in," said Rachel.

Igor tried to grab the Purrloin, but it responded by scratching Igor.

"You tell them, Lucifer dear," said Thea.

* * *

Meanwhile, Marlon and the others were in the city square.

"I'm glad that's over," said Nate.

"I admire the fact that you resolved it peacefully," said Rosa.

"There was no other way," said Marlon. "If I had slapped them with a lawsuit, things would have been crazy. I would have never heard the end of it."

"And Nina and Rachel got fired," said Hugh. "Awesome!"

Marlon rolled his eyes.

"Hugh," he said, "don't laugh at people's misfortunes, even if they deserve it."

"Sorry," said Hugh.

"That's okay," said Marlon.

"And what about the mansion and the yacht and the white women?" asked Rosa.

"Marlon doesn't need them," said Hugh.

"I just want to go home," said Nate. "I really miss spending time in Aspertia City."

"I'm going back to Aspertia too," said Rosa.

"Okay," said Marlon. "And what about you, Hugh?"

"No way!" said Hugh. "I'm getting back to my travels."

"Sure thing," said Marlon.

Nate, Rosa, and Hugh all walked their separate ways.

"Peace out!" said Marlon.

As everyone walked away, Marlon smiled as he looked on. After looking for a few minutes, he decided to go back to Humilau. As Marlon rode on the bus, he was feeling elated. The madness was over, and now things were back to normal.

**THE END**

* * *

Did you like it? Please review if you'd like!


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